Portulaca plant named ‘Kakegawa CY6’

ABSTRACT

Portulaca ‘Kakegawa CY6’ is a new variety of  Portulaca oleracea.  This plant has a vigorous, spreading plant growth which produces unique dark red flower with a red ring surrounding a yellow flower eye at the base of the of the flower petals.

Genus and species: Portulaca oleracea.

Variety denomination: ‘Kakegawa CY6’.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Portulacaplant, hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Kakegawa CY6’. Portulaca‘Kakegawa CY6’ is a new variety of Portulaca oleracea. The plant has avigorous spreading growth habit and can be used as a groundcover. It canalso be used in a potted or hanging basket presentation. The invention'sflowers are a unique dark red flower with a red ring surrounding ayellow flower eye at the base of the flower petals. The flowers aresingle and measure approximately 5.0 centimeters in diameter when fullyopen. The plant performs well in hot and dry climates. The plant is veryresistant to rain, heat and drought.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The new cultivar is propagated asexually from vegetative cuttings. Theasexual reproduction establishes that the plant does in fact maintainthe characteristics described in successive generations. ‘Kakegawa CY6’has been reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif., and all of thecharacteristics thereof have been determined to be firmly fixed.

‘Kakegawa CY6’ originated as a sport from the variety ‘Summer Joy Winered’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 12,251). The inventor isolated the sport inOctober, 1999 in a greenhouse in Salinas, Calif. A single lateral stemwas identified which exhibited a dark red flower with a red ring arounda yellow eye. The parent variety possesses a dark red flower with a redcenter. The original sport was isolated and rooted in soiless plantmedia. Twenty vegetative cuttings were then made from the original plantafter it grew to a suitable size. All twenty plants were identical forleaf shape, flower color and overall plant habit. Subsequent annualvegetative propagation of these plants over the next two years produceduniform plants with the same characteristics.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings serve by color photographic means toillustrate the new plant variety, ‘Kakegawa CY6’. The colors arerepresented as true as possible using conventional photographicprocedures.

FIG. 1 is a close-up view of a ‘Kakegawa CY6’ flower illustrating itscolor and shape.

FIG. 2 is a view of several plants of the new cultivar growing in a 35.0cm diameter pot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is based on observations and measurements from14-16 week old plants grown in 15 cm pots at Salinas, Calif. Plants werepropagated from vegetative cuttings and grown in a glass greenhouse.These plants were grown in plastic pots containing a peat moss-basedmedium. Soluble fertilizer containing 18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and18% potassium were applied every fourth irrigation. The plants weretypically watered twice per week. Pots were topdressed with a slowrelease fertilizer containing 18% nitrogen, 8% phosphorus and 18%potassium. The average air temperature was 24° C.

Color designations were made according to The Royal HorticulturalSociety Colour Chart published by The Royal Horticultural Society ofLondon, England.

Origin: Japan

Parentage: A vegetative sport from variety ‘Summer Joy Wine Red’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 12,251).

Classification:

Family.—Portulacaceae.

Genus.—Portulaca.

Species.—oleracea.

Commercial.—Portulaca/Purslane ‘Kakegawa CY6’.

Plant:

Growt habit.—Prostrate.

Plant height.—23.0 cm.

Spread.—85 cm (in a six-inch pot).

Life cycle.—Perennial.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—2 weeks.

Time to bloom from propagation.—6-8 weeks.

Time to produce a rooted cutting.—Vegetative cuttings root in 7-10 daysafter sticking into a rooting medium like a peat moss based mix; thecuttings will form roots without the use of overhead mist.

Flowering season/requirements.—Flowers year round at temperatures of24°-35° C.; day neutral light requirements.

Temperature.—Will not tolerate temperatures below 7° C.

Stem:

Color.—Yellowish green (144C).

Anthocyanin.—R.H.S. 178B (greyed-red).

Pubescence.—Glabrous.

Stem description.—Round, slightly rough with lateral ridges.

Diameter.—5.0 mm.

Length of interode.—3.0-3.5 cm.

Leaf:

Apex.—Acute.

Base.—Rounded.

Arrangement.—Alternate.

Leaf color.—Upper surface RHS 137C (green); lower surface RHS 138C(green).

Anthocyanin.—R.H.S. 58A (red-purple).

Margin.—Entire.

Length (average).—3.0 cm.

Width (average).—1.5 cm.

Shape.—Oblong.

Thickness.—1.0 mm.

Texture.—Smooth.

Petiole color.—RHS N144D (yellow-green).

Petiole length.—2.0 mm.

Petiole diameter.—2.0-3.0 mm.

Flower:

Calyx.—2 sepals; 1.0 cm×1.0 cm; free.

Sepal shape.—Eliptic.

Sepal texture.—Double lobed, slightly sinuate.

Sepal apex shape.—Cuspidate.

Sepal color.—R.H.S. 146D (yellow-green) in the center and lightertowards the margin until the tissue becomes transparent.

Corolla.—5 petals; free.

Flower diameter.—4.0-5.0 cm.

Bud color.—R.H.S. 138B (green).

Bud shape.—Round and pointed at the top.

Bud surface.—Shiny.

Bud size.—Length is 1.1-1.2 cm; diameter is 8 mm.

Duration of flower life.—One day.

Flowering habit.—Determinate.

Placenta arrangement.—Central.

Inflorescence type.—Solitary, sessile.

Stamens.—50; Filament color RHS 61B (red-purple) with a length of 6 mm;anther color R.H.S. 24A (orange).

Pistil.—1, branched on top with 5 branches.

Stigma.—RHS 61B (red-purple).

Style.—RHS 61B (red-purple) with a length of 1.0 cm.

Petal size.—3.0×2.8-3.0 cm (l×w).

Petal shape.—Double lobed; obovate.

Petal margin.—Double lobed; slightly sinuate.

Petal apex.—Retuse.

Petal texture.—Smooth and soft.

Petal color.—Upper surface RHS 61B (red-purple) at distal half and RHS60A (red-purple) at basal half; lower surface RHS 61C (red-purple) atdistal half and RHS 60A (red-purple at basal half; base of petal upperand lower surface R.H.S. 154A (yellow-green).

Produces seed.—No.

Habit.—The flowers bloom during midmorning and close at night. Eachflower blooms only once and are produced throughout the growing season.The plants produce flowers regardless of day length; the plants are dayneutral. Plants can have 40 to 50 open flowers at one time and have nofragrance.

Hardiness.—Plant is heat tolerant; thrives in heat and humidity; plantis not cold tolerant or below 7° C.

Disease and Insect Resistance

No unusual susceptibility to diseases or insects have been observed.

Comparison with Other Known Varieties

‘Kakegawa CY6’ is most similar to the variety Summer Joy Rose (U.S PlantPat. No. 12,285) in that its petal color is darker red and the base ofthe petals and the anther create a yellow eye. ‘Kakegawa CY6’ and‘Summer Joy Rose’ are similar in petal morphology (size, shape, texture,margin, and apex) and the two varieties have the same pollen color,R.H.S. 24A (orange). ‘Kakegawa CY6’ petals are slightly darker (RHS 61B,red-purple) than ‘Summer Joy Rose’ petals (R.H.S. 74A, red-purple), andthe base of ‘Kakegawa CY6’ petal changes to a darker red (R.H.S. 60A,red-purple) near the base. The basal ⅛ inch of ‘Kakegawa CY6’ petals areyellow (R.H.S. 154A). The base of ‘Summer Joy Rose’ petals change toyellow (R.H.S. 12A) in the basal ¼ inch. At the margin of the two colorsis streaking and fading of the two different colors.

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct Portulaca plant as shown and describedherein.